A Series of Shorts: G1
by Yeaomi
Summary: Eleven very short stories that explore various characters of the G1 verse. Features: Soundwave, Shockwave, Starscream, Ratchet, Jazz, Inferno, Red Alert, Skyfire, Optimus, Megatron, Bluestreak, Prowl, Barricade, Bumblebee, Sunstreaker, and Tracks.


AN: Eleven shorts that can be considered character studies I suppose. Just little musings that I finally put together as part of a project. Let me know what you think!

This one covers mostly G1 Verses and some comics.

Easy reading guide: 

-~Short 1: Always Alone – Soundwave x Shockwave pairing. Soundwave wonders what keeps Shockwave going.

~Short 2: Sky – Ratchet finds Starscream damaged after a battle. Starscream wonders what they have in common.

~Short 3: Wing Envy – Starscream gives Jazz a lesson in wing envy.

~Short 4: Danger! High Voltage! – Inferno wants nothing more than to get closer to the spastic security officer. If only he could do it without setting off Red Alert's alarms.

~Short 5: Love is… - Red Alert bumps into Skyfire late at night in the lab. Together they try to figure out what the meaning of friendship really is. Red Alert x Inferno implied. Inferno x Firestar lightly implied. Possible Red Alert x Skyfire implied. Skyfire x Starscream implied. (Nothing is set in stone).

~Short 6: First and Only – Skyfire wants nothing more than to let go, but his spark won't let him. Skyfire x Starscream pairing.

~Short 7: Just one… - Megatron x Optimus Prime pairing. Megatron and Prime prepare for a revolution.

~Short 8: Blue Night – Prowl never did make a good parental figure… So why did he end up taking in an orphaned Bluestreak?

~Short 9: Runner – Prowl knows why Cade runs.

~Short 10: Chase – Barricade x Bumblebee. Cade loves to place chase.

~Short 11: Wax - Sunstreaker x Tracks. Because you should never end on angst. Have some yummy to ease your angst. This gets a little steamy… just a little.

**~Short 1: Always Alone**

Soundwave never made himself a part of the group. Always standing in the back, reluctant to join in any privileges or idle moments of pure indulgence.

As introverted as he was, the others simply assumed he was anti-social. That he felt superior to the others and simply couldn't bring himself down to their level.

The truth was far more complicated than that. Soundwave could not help but feel an intense guilt each and every time he joined the others. Each time he indulged in a laugh and each time he stood solidly beside his leader.

Soundwave was social by nature. Even when he was alone he had his cassettes. He honestly could not imagine spending a week completely alone. It left a deep ache in his spark when he tried to imagine millions and billions of years being the alone. Utterly and completely alone.

Shockwave was a stronger mech. He had always been an independent individual that preferred to work alone. Their first contact with Shockwave after all those years had been like any other typical routine.

Each time they had any sort of contact with the overly loyal mech, Soundwave stood further and further back. He was shamed to imagine if he would still be sitting at his post after a single year of no contact.

Did Shockwave really have that much faith? Had he honestly not noticed the years slowly passing him by as he sat in his cold tower alone with nothing but rations and his drones?

There was no telling what went on behind that screen when no one was looking. Was Shockwave really as unaffected as he appeared, or did he feel the dark empty space closing in on him?

Soundwave made a promise to everything he believed in. When the war was over, he would return to Cybertron. He would find Shockwave in his tower and stand at his side, silently if needed.

Soundwave would be that ever present reminder that Shockwave was not alone anymore.

**~Short 2: Sky**

Cybertron had a very boring sky.

Without an atmosphere, it was always black, cold, and empty. Solar winds were harsh and often dangerous to fly in. Speed was nearly impossible to obtain without an excess of fuel to be wasted.

The first time Starscream had seen Earth, he could not take his optics off of the seemingly endless blue sky. The clouds that were so easy to get lost in. The water droplets that would run across his window and over his wings sending a deep chill through his frame. The unpredictable winds, turbulence, dramatic changes in weather, mountains that would suddenly appear with little to no warning… And the colors of the sun as it lit the sky, warming his spark and showing him the way.

He missed his brightly lit metal home of Cybertron. Starscream would often find himself trying to pick out similar shapes, finding a thrill in flying at night over large earth cities, enjoying the way they lit up the sky with their artificial light.

Yet, to fly over the vast empty unoccupied land caused his spark to pulse harder.

He wondered if the Autobots felt the same about the roads. Surely the paved roads were superior against their wheels to the cold slick metal. Paved, gravel, dirt, grass…. They certainly seemed keen on protecting this place; they must have some fondness for it.

After one particularly rough battle, Starscream found himself buried under a pile of rubble. His leader and teammates of course abandoned him. Every Con for themselves seemed to be the prevalent motto for them.

Just as he thought he was done for, the nosey Autobot medic showed up. Any and all protests he had regarding being touched or helped by a filthy Autobot went unheard. Finally, Starscream sat back and allowed the pushy medic to work on the damage. There was no point in refusing a free check up. The Decepticons certainly lacked any form of medical officer.

Awkward silence settled in between them before Ratchet finally addressed him personally. "Do you enjoy it here?"

Starscream looked at him, wondering if it was some sort of trick question. He hated the organic filth and did what he could to disadvantage the humans in any way possible. He had no regard for nature or any sort of life here. The birds made messes out of his turbines and his landing gear was often damaged by sand or rough landings in rocks. The storms messed up his navigation abilities and the water often damaged his circuits. He hated every moment of this planet. He could hardly wait for them to take it over and wipe this place clean.

"I would destroy this world in a spark-beat, given the chance. Cybertron is truly superior in every way."

"Surely you must like something here." Ratchet insisted as he carefully bent metal back into shape.

Starscream considered the mech for a moment. "The only thing I would take back to Cybertron, is the sky."

Ratchet was silent for a moment as he put in the finishing touches. The medic was too kind for his own good. He should have left him to die. One less enemy on the field to kill his comrades.

"I would take the roads." Ratchet gave him a pat on the wing, signaling that he was done. Their optics met for a moment, wondering about the other. So different and so foreign.

Starscream smirked and took off, finding the sky quickly, wondering if he should shoot the foolish medic or not. He settled for one warning shot, deciding to let the foolish bot live as thanks for fixing his broken wing.

Below him, the Autobot transformed and took to the well traveled road, following the worn down grooves back to his base.

Starscream circled around a few times, diving in and out of the clouds before finally losing himself in the freedom of the open sky.

**~Short 3: Wing Envy**

"I wonder what it's like up there…" Jazz reached up, tracing the outline of a cloud with a finger.

The sun was slowly setting behind the mountain behind him, the days heat slowly rising out of the rocks around him. He was sprawled out in a sparse patch of grass, relaxing after a long boring shift on guard. Somewhere above behind him Sideswipe was taking over the shift and patrolling the parameter of the base.

A flock of birds slowly circled overhead before flying off to follow the sun. "It must be so amazing…" His engines sighed as he tried to imagine what it was like.

Driving through darkness on black pavement in the rain. It was the best he could come up with. Nothing around you. Just wind and space.

But even if he couldn't see it, he could still feel the pavement under his wheels. Of course he'd spent his fair amount of time in the air. Jumping cliffs, hitting bumps, or just getting blown away by various Decepticons.

But that wasn't really flying. That was out of control falling.

Closing his optics, he tried to picture actually driving through the air. In control, turning and dipping and soaring.

"Must be like the sweetest beat there is." It was the best explanation he could come up with. A beat that synced up with everything. Pounding and jiving with life.

The sound of turbines jolted him out of his day dreams. Optics instantly picked out a lone jet streaking across the sky. Distinct colors reflecting down to him.

Transforming quickly, Jazz gave chase, picking the smoothest path he could find. The jet wasn't on any distinct path, it appeared that he was simply 'out for a drive'. Jazz could dig that. He was 'out for a drive' too.

His speedometer inched higher and higher as he rocketed across the earth, following the seeker above and matching turn for turn.

He briefly wondered if the jet knew he was there until Starscream suddenly started to rocket down towards him.

Bracing for impact or the sound of fire, he found the ground around him rumbling. At last the jet buzzed him, tipping his wings just enough to avoid impact with the ground and Jazz. They passed close enough that Jazz was able to read the symbols on the jet's wing flaps.

Starscream pulled up and shot back into the sky, leaving a hurricane in his wake as Jazz struggled to keep control, the sheer force of the wind hitting him like a brick wall and hurling him along at speeds he could only dream of.

The sonic boom came second, rattling his windows and shaking him down to the very core. For the briefest of moments, all four wheels left the ground, gliding over the surface of the road.

At last it passed and Jazz hit the brakes, spinning slightly before he came to a stop. His windows were cracked and his tires smoking.

Above him, Starscream circled around once, seeming to be looking Jazz over before he tipped his wings slightly and took off again, disappearing into the night sky.

The thrill of the ride was still cycling in his spark as Jazz slowly turned back to his base.

"Hell of a sweet ride…" Jazz chuckled to himself and turned up his music, letting the beat rumble deep in his spark.

**~Short 4: Danger! High Voltage!**

Inferno was patient. He had to be.

After the first attempt to win over the affections of his friend ended with car alarms, sirens, and a trip to the med bay for an overheated processor, he had decided that he needed to rethink his plan of attack.

Inferno was never one you wanted to be bored or frustrated either. He had a bad habit of starting fires just to put them out.

Especially around Red Alert. Most of them were on pure accident. Getting flustered and shooting something or just setting a fire to get out of wanting to molest and show his true passion for him.

He was starting to think that Red Alert might think him insane. Or a bad bot and report him to Prime for his lack of safety.

Little by little, he started to get closer to Red. Desperate just for a little contact. A little reassurance that he was making progress with his friend.

Trouble was, a mech his size meant a casual bump would often lead to Red Alert being splayed out on the floor. Which was NOT helping to keep his passion under control.

Eventually, Inferno gave up. Alarms or no alarms, he walked up to Red Alert and kissed him.

**~Short 5: Love is… **

Red Alert had many worries in his life. As head of security, he was constantly getting reports from other mechs, demands from higher ups, monitoring the trouble makers, and keeping an eye on all activity that might be considered Decepticon.

Red Alert was fairly young for his position and rank, but he had proven on countless occasions to be able to withstand anything. Growing up in a hurry, burying himself in his work, Red had neglected to learn how to interact properly with other mechs.

This had never troubled him before as most of his interactions had revolved around his job or with his close friend, Inferno. Inferno was patient, caring, and willing to be a mentor to the often distressed young officer.

One night over a relatively small glass of high grade, Inferno has brought up the subject of love. He was going on leave to Cybertron to visit with Firestar. Red Alert felt awkward for the first time with his friend, unable to contribute in any way other than to simply shrug and admit that he didn't have anyone.

Perplexed by the whole conversation and the look of disappointment on his friends face, Red found himself in a rare moment of distraction as he conducted his nightly patrol duties.

Turning down the science sector, he noticed one of the larger labs was still wide open and fully lit. _Skyfire._

This was a familiar sight at all hours of the day and night. The former science officer was more dedicated to his work than Red Alert ever could be; which was saying quite a lot.

Suddenly feeling lonely, he wandered in and looked around nervously. He'd never actually spoken to Skyfire before, intimidated by the overly large plane.

"Skyfire? You still up?"

The large mech was slouched over a lab table going over a large data pad. Startled, Skyfire looked up at Red then around the room as he slowly became aware of the time. "Good heavens… Is it that late already? I must have lost track of the time…" His gentle optics settled on the nervous mech before him. "Am I impeding curfew again? I'll gladly settle in for a nice recharge. I believe it has been three days already…"

Red stared for a moment then quickly shook his head. "No-no! I was just… You're always here. Don't you have somewhere to go? Someone to be with?" He knew it was a personal question, possibly more personal than most bots would tolerate.

Skyfire looked at him fully for a long moment then carefully moved to set down the data pad. "No. I'm afraid I do not have anyone waiting for me… Or anywhere to go or be." There was a deep sadness behind the slow words. He recalled reading the report on how Skyfire had first come to join them and wondered about his past connections.

"I'm sorry. If I'm disturbing you I will go. I have my duties to carry out, after all…"

"Inferno left earlier for Cybertron." So it would seem Skyfire wasn't as out of touch with the base as one would assume. "He is a good friend to you."

He couldn't help but smile. "Yes! He is a very good friend!" His only friend. "He is visiting Firestar… I suppose I will have to find other things to keep me preoccupied while he is away. …Do you have friends on Cybertron?"

It was hard to believe that such a gentle mech would not have made friends anywhere. Slowly, Red Alert moved to take a seat at the lab bench.

He didn't know why he suddenly cared so much or why he felt the need to connect so desperately so suddenly. Perhaps he was lonely. This was the first time he had been without Inferno since the incident.

"I used to… I'm afraid that I don't anymore."

Red Alert felt his spark ache for the larger mech. "Starscream? Were you…close?"

"We were once… Before the war." A smile graced his lips as he remembered better days.

It occurred to Red Alert that Skyfire was a flier… All fliers were now pretty much classified as Decepticons. Skyfire had not had the opportunity to follow his friends. Who knew how many of them had been deactivated during the war.

"You aren't still friends then, are you?" Red Alert looked up nervously. Perhaps he was crossing a line. But he couldn't understand how Skyfire could stand to be so vulnerable. So alone.

"I like to think… That someday we could be friends again… Perhaps I am foolish to be so hopeful. He is not who I used to know." Skyfire looked down at Red for a moment then smiled. "If Inferno never came back from Cybertron… If he abandoned you for Firestar… If he changed, would you give up on him?"

It was a terrible thing to even think about. He suddenly found his spark clenching in fear. "I would never give up on him… He is my friend! Friends look out for each other. They care for each other." He hesitated then looked down. "Friends love each other."

Skyfire smiled and placed a hand on Red's back gently, soothingly. "Friends love each other."

Red Alert slowly relaxed and leaned into the larger mech. He really wasn't much larger than Inferno was. A comforting presence that offered safety and undying patience.

"I suppose love is really complicated…"

Skyfire smiled and lightly patted his back. "It doesn't have to be… We just have to be patient."

It was an answer Red Alert could live with.

**~Short 6: First and Only**

Skyfire hated himself. He hated his weak soft spark. How it refused to let go of a bond that any sane bot or con would have abandoned ages ago.

He couldn't explain why he never let go of someone he knew would never change. Who he could always count on to shoot him in the back at the first chance.

Starscream had been his first friend. His only friend. No one cared much for Skyfire. No one cared to get close to him.

Even other scientists couldn't understand him. His drive and his complete and utter lack of social skills.

Only one mech had ever stayed by him. Sitting next to him in the lab at all hours, flying patiently on the long boring exploratory missions and waiting for the data to finish processing.

This was another thing he hated. His failure to understand just why Starscream had been so damn persistent in befriending him. They clashed horribly. They had different beliefs and values.

It wasn't as if they had been stuck together and forced to be partners and become friends.

Starscream was free to leave any time. He had purposefully sought him out and refused to leave. Starscream had chosen him as a partner.

Was it his size? His power? Did Starscream sense that he could walk all over him and he would never fight back?

But even then it made no sense. Perhaps Starscream had simply wanted a challenge...

Either way, they still found themselves attached. It was a bond neither of them had broken. Even after Skyfire had disappeared for centuries on end, Starscream had clung to the bond.

In truth... The answer was simple.

He had been Starscream's first and only friend too.

**~Short 7: Just one… **

"Please brother, don't do this."

"I have to. Don't you understand? They need us. They need a leader. They need a savior."

"Let someone else do this. Let someone else lead them."

"Are you going to lead them?"

"I didn't say that… I just think…"

"I know what you think, Optimus. And it's wrong. We were meant to be free. I will make sure we are. Are you with me or are you not?"

"I'm with you… I just… Must it end in violence?"

"It is the only way. I know we can do this if you're by my side, Brother. We can do this."

"Alright. I'm with you. I'll always be by your side."

"I couldn't do it if you weren't…"

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes. Are you?"

"I'd be a fool not to be, Megatron."

"I'll protect you. I'll always protect you."

"Maybe I'll be the one protecting you."

"Protecting my spark? How noble."

"Always protecting your spark."

"You're the only one I would ever let near it."

"I promise I'll take good care of it if you just promise me you'll be careful."

"It's just this one battle. It'll all be over before you even realize it. And then…"

"And then things will be better for us all…"

**~Short 8: Blue Night**

He'd have thought he'd learned his lesson after his first failed attempt at fostering lost little orphans in need of guidance.

The first sparkling had come from a hard life and simply refused to leave the mean streets in his past. Eventually, Prowl had been forced let the young mech return to the way of life he was meant for. Forced to watch him run off back to a life of hardships where he was more than likely to end up dead or in the brig if he was lucky.

It had been painful and a terrible failure on his part. When he had been asked to care for a second orphan of the war, he had honestly thought they'd lost their common sense programming. Turns out they had simply assumed that because they were the same make and model that Prowl would just have a natural connection. That he would know how to make it all better.

The quiet sparkling had quickly grown into a handful. His pain hidden away behind fast talking and tough shooting. The sole survivor of a brutal slaughtering quickly learned from the logical tactician how to restrain himself.

Nights like these made Prowl wonder if perhaps it had been a mistake to accept the young mech under his care. Someone else could have done a better job. The young Autobot needed proper guidance. Needed to learn the proper skills to deal with his past.

He stood in the door a moment, listening to the small whimpers and cries. Bluestreak was getting too old for the standard means of comfort to work. Prowl could no longer pick him up and hold him close. Could no longer carry him around or allow him to sleep in his berth with him. The gentle engine sounds would no longer sooth an adult as they had a sparkling. This was just not something Prowl could handle.

Perhaps it was best to let the mech work through this on his own.

A soft chirp stopped him. Another chirp and Prowl found himself moving over to the berth, his hand going out to gently stroke a doorwing.

"Hey Blue… It's alright. I'm here." The small doorwings shuddered then wilted as Bluestreak came out of recharge.

Prowl sat in silence, waiting for some sort of sign.

"Prowl? Don't stop, please." His doorwings trembled and twitched slightly. His voice small and wavering.

Slowly Prowl started to rub his back and doorwings. Old memories came back to him of his own creator. When he had been a sparkling, he'd had his fair share of irrational moments where he'd cry out in the dark for his creators… Rubbing his back and soothing away all his fears.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore, Blue… " He traced the small curves and lines, gently massaging along the same paths his creators once took.

Bluestreak was oddly silent for a moment, shifting to get comfortable near Prowl. Finally he moved up to lay his head in Prowl's lap. "I'm not afraid anymore, Prowl… I just…"

Prowl sighed and shushed him. He understood. His own creators had been taken from him at an early age. It was why he had originally agreed to be a foster bot in the first place.

"I'm here. I'll always be here. You just relax."

"Will you rub my back for a while longer?" There was a delicate hope in his voice now. He needed guidance. He needed Prowl now more than ever.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay here as long as you need me." He could tell Blue was already slipping back into recharge, his small doorwings slowly relaxing under the touches.

Carefully pulling him into his lap fully, Prowl stretched out on the berth, letting Blue curl up against him. Together, they could chase away all of their nightmares.

He would not fail this one as he had failed the other. He would protect him and love him.

**~Short 9: Runner**

It was a surprise the first time Prowl had seen the other 'cop'. Many were surprised that a Decepticon would take such a form. They thought it was ironic and most likely used to fool the humans into trusting him.

Prowl knew better. He honestly couldn't see him taking any other form but that of the police.

Cade hadn't always been as he was. Prowl could recall chasing Barricade down back in the old days on Cybertron.

Barricade liked to run. Especially when Prowl was chasing him. He could recall the days when he'd catch Cade and try to talk sense into him. To talk him into returning to the academy with him. To join him and be his partner. He had so much potential. So much he could give.

He would have made a good cop. He was fast and strong and regardless of his choices, he had a pretty good sense of right and wrong. And he would have been a good friend. A good mate…

No, he wasn't surprised to see him as a cop. He was positive that he had chosen that form on purpose. He would do the chasing now.

**~Short 10: Chase**

Barricade always looked forward to the dark nights when all the filthy humans were off his open roads and he could drive like he was meant to.

Speeds that no human cars should reach, his headlights the only thing on the road ahead of him.

Well, almost the only thing... The best nights were when his headlights were filled with his favorite color.

Stripes gave all sorts of excuses for coming out. He was 'protecting' his humans. Keeping an eye on the Decepticon filth and trying to make sure he didn't cause any harm.

Cade knew better. Bumblebee couldn't resist the call of the empty pavement ahead of him. The speed and reckless chase they gave. How each and every turn and curve was that much closer to disaster.

A nudge and shove each time he slowed to show caution.

Cade would accept nothing but the best from Stripes. Out here, at this speed, no one could take them alive.

His engines roared as Stripes would decide he'd had enough and spin to face him. It was like a dance. Spinning and sliding across the ground together.

The sounds of their engines trying to outdo the other, the yellow paint chips clashing with his own sleek black.

The night could never last long enough for him. Eventually, Stripes would turn and retreat.

Barricade would give him a hard bumper nudge for good measure and watch him drive off as the sun came up.

The only thing stopping him from taking him down was the promise of the next chase to come.

**~Short 11: Wax**

Sunstreaker hated this planet. It was filthy beyond filthy. It seemed everywhere he went he was getting some sort of scuff and grime on him. It was generally known that at the end of the day, the wash racks were his. Though today, there was one bot that refused to wait his turn. Someone almost as haughty as he was.

Sunny didn't mind. He could use the extra hands to get into all those deliciously tight places. And Tracks had the best hands around.

Engines rumbled softly as the hot water flowed over them. Hands caressing the delicate and pristine metal. Buffing out the scuffs and scratches.

Hot wax felt too good under those delicate fingers. Tracks knew all the best spots. He always made sure he got every last speck of grit out of his joints. Out of his chest. Out of his spark.

The other bots waited patiently for the two high class mechs to vacate the wash racks so they could take their turn. They tried not to feel awkward as the engines inside rumbled loudly in unison. At the cries and groans and steam that came out.

At last, the door opened and the two walked out, looking as pristine as ever.


End file.
